As the sun set over the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Sauber F1 Team experienced a day of stark contrasts during Friday practice for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. While Nico Hülkenberg delivered an encouraging performance with a P9 finish in FP2, rookie Gabriel Bortoleto faced frustration as a fuel leak completely ruled him out of the crucial evening session.
Bortoleto’s unfortunate FP2 miss
For rookie Bortoleto, missing FP2 at one of Formula 1’s fastest circuits represented a significant setback. “Definitely not ideal, especially in a high-speed track like this,” the Brazilian explained. “I think it’s the second fastest track of the championship, and my first time with the Formula 1 car here, so obviously quite frustrating.”
The issue was discovered shortly after FP1, with the team immediately beginning repair efforts. Despite their best attempts, the complexity of the fuel leak meant Bortoleto would remain garage-bound for the entire session. “Nothing the team could do about it,” he acknowledged. “It happens, it’s things that unfortunately can happen and luckily the team figured it out as soon as possible after FP1 and tried to make it in time, but it was basically impossible.”
With limited running on the challenging Jeddah street circuit, Bortoleto now faces the difficult task of preparing for qualifying with minimal track experience. When asked about leaning on his teammate’s data, he was pragmatic.
“Every driver drives a little bit different than each other, so you cannot rely a hundred percent on one only feedback, so it’s always better if you can drive it, but in that case as I didn’t do it, we need to rely on that.”
Hülkenberg’s promising performance
In stark contrast to his teammate’s struggles, Nico Hülkenberg enjoyed what he described as “one of the better Fridays” of the season so far. The German veteran showed impressive pace throughout the day, culminating in a solid P9 position during the representative conditions of FP2.
“I think the car somehow from P1 felt a little bit more comfortable, a bit more at home on this track compared to last weekend, which is obviously nice and good news,” Hülkenberg said. His comfort around the challenging Jeddah circuit was evident, as he navigated the high-speed sections with confidence.
When asked about his affinity for the Saudi Arabian track, Hülkenberg was enthusiastic.
“I do [like it]. It’s pretty intense, it’s crazy the speeds that we achieve here, but it is spectacular. It’s challenging and very fun.” Now in his fourth or fifth appearance at the venue, he noted he’s “getting more comfortable by the year.”
Sauber looking ahead to the F1 Saudi Arabian GP
The loss of Bortoleto’s running represents a significant data collection setback for Sauber. When questioned about this impact, Hülkenberg acknowledged the difficulties it creates, particularly for his rookie teammate.
“It’s obviously very compromising for Gabriel, who is here first time in a Formula One car. That’s obviously far from ideal,” Hülkenberg stated. “Obviously, not what anybody wanted in the team. But unfortunately, it happened and it was a big problem. It was, of course, not intentional.”
As for his own expectations heading into qualifying, Hülkenberg remained noncommittal when asked what would constitute a good Saturday, simply responding, “I don’t know.”
The remaining practice session becomes crucial for Sauber, with Bortoleto needing to maximise every lap of FP3 before the Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying. Meanwhile, Hülkenberg’s encouraging pace suggests the potential for the team to fight for points if they can maintain their performance through the remainder of the weekend.
